Chip: Vick remains limited

Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
Wednesday, November 6, 2013, 11:57 AM

Chip Kelly said Wednesday that quarterback Michael Vick remains limited in practice with the hamstring Vick reinjured 10 days ago. There was never any chance the Eagles were going to try to run Vick back out there this weekend in Green Bay with Nick Foles coming off a game in Oakland where he tied an NFL record with 7 touchdown passes, but Kelly's prognosis hints that Foles could get more than another week to solidify his starting status.

Kelly also said the Eagles are not ready to move away from Damaris Johnson as their primary returner, even though DeSean Jackson's punt returning and Brandon Boykin's kickoff returning in Johnson's place against Oakland were more dynamic than what the Birds have been getting from Johnson. (Before you get too excited, Bobby April coaches the Raiders' special teams.)

Kelly reiterated that Johnson's ankle injury, which kept him out of practice all last week, was the reason he didn't return against the Raiders, not displeasure with his work.

"DeSean had one long return there (32 yards), and Brandon hit one up in there (for 41 yards), so those were positives, but we're not ready to make a wholesale change yet," Kelly said.

Boykin, the nickel corner, and Jackson, the most lethal weapon on the receiving corps, have vital roles on a team that plays a lot of snaps, because of its hurryup style. The Eagles probably would like to not add to their workload and expose them to greater risk of injury byt putting them back there reguarly.

Kelly touted the Green Bay running back tandem of James Starks and Eddie Lacy, which combined for 190 yards on 28 carries in Monday night's home loss to the Bears. With Aaron Rodgers sidelined, the Packers probably will key their offense around the ground game.

"They're two really big backs and they're downhill runners," Kelly said. "They're physical. It's going to take a lot of guys to get them down. Very rarely is one guy getting them to the ground. They're running through arm tackles. I think you've got to get 11 guys to the ball, but they made a concerted effort, even before Aaron got hurt, to run the ball ... it's a tough task when you have physical guys like that," because one unblocked defender isn't going to be sufficient to shut them down.